By: Rebecca Bahlmann

After the fabulous Kolfraft car seat adapter stroller, we finally had to buy a new LARGER stroller as our daughter turned about 14 months. We realized how spoiled we had been with the all-steel structure of Kolkraft. Maneuverability and large basket (plus narrowness). Because our building is historic (1860 no less) it has a double door entrance with one half being only 22 inches wide (with half this door used most of the time). So, the main criteria for our search was this width limitation (otherwise we?d have to open both doors, a pain) and a large basket for shopping.

We settled for the Peg Perego Venezia. It had a very large basket, although not quite as big as the Kolkraft, but I can easily fit 4 shopping bags full of groceries in it. It also, being European is not very wide and fits perfectly through our door.

Things we like:

• You can flip the front handle over to have the child face you or face forward. This is handy if your child is upset or you need to watch him/her for any reason. When you flip it to face you, you have to lock the other wheels (which is an option with this stroller). When the backrest is fully reclined in this position, the stroller looks like an old fashioned pram if the sun hood is on ? very cute. Elizabeth does not sleep much in the stroller, but if she did , this would be ideal, as one can see her and she can lie flat.
• Large Basket
• Large sun protection, very durable, it even holds small items on the inside.
• Great food tray for child ? if you are on the go, put dinner in it in a bowl with cup in cup holder. The food tray also easily detaches so you can more easily wash it.
• Nice design

Things that are ok, could be better:

• We live in an historic neighborhood (Olde City Philadelphia) with bumpy uneven sidewalks, holes gutters and cobble stones. If you live somewhere like this, that is historic or plain not well maintained, this stroller is maneuverable, but as the child gets heavier or if you have a lot of shopping in the basket, it can become a strain to turn it. Also, if the sidewalk is not level, i.e. slopes to one side, you really have to constantly hold the handles. Not much one hand operation here.
• Related to the above point, while the stroller "looks metallic" it is actually all high impact plastic and as a result it is just not very solid. When the stroller hits a pot hole or some other kind of obstacle, your forward momentum bends the plastic and then pushes back in an unpleasant fashion. If you push the stroller very fast, the wheels wobble back and forth and become very unstable (unlike the aluminum Kolecraft).
• Next time we will get a stroller with bicycle wheels ? this is really the best thing for bad or old pavements.
• After one year the basket underneath is wearing. Bare in mind, that we cook every day and load it up with lots of things at least once a week and walk about 1-2 miles with it daily. So this could be put down to normal wear and tear (but the Kolkraft never wore down!)

Second Baby ? Double stroller

We have decided on the Valco. It is narrow (but we?ll have to open our second door for it nevertheless) and it has a second seat, hitchhiker step and bicycle wheels. It acts like a one child stroller in size, but is for two.

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